Multiple use base holder system

ABSTRACT

A holding base system comprising a platform with an exteriorly splined post projecting therefrom and mounting means for securing the platform to a surface, an article holder having a splined inner wall on a bottom thereof to fit on and cooperate with the splined post and a top thereof shaped and constructed to secure an article to be supported, with the orientation of the supported article being determined by the relative positioning of the splined socket to the splined post.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to holding devices and is particularly related toholding base systems that can be quickly and easily mounted to a varietyof surfaces to receive a wide range of clamping devices that are used tosecure other objects in place.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Principal objects of the present invention are to provide a holding basethat is readily and easily connected to a variety of support surfacesand that will then receive articles to be secured, or a variety ofclamping devices that will hold articles to be secured to the supportsurfaces. The articles to be held may include clamping devices that willsecure other articles in place in a selected orientation or may be otherarticles themselves that are positioned in a selected orientation withrespect to the surfaces.

Yet other objects of the invention are to provide a holding base that isparticularly suited to attachment to vehicles and even more particularlyto bicycles, motorcycles and off-highway vehicles, so that articles suchas containers, fishing equipment, tools, guns, safety equipment,cameras, telephones, pagers, position locators, water bottles and otherconvenience items can be readily attached to the vehicle for carryingand/or use purposes and that can be easily and quickly removed from thevehicle.

Still other objects are to provide a holding base system that may befitted with different types of anchor straps to pass around and totightly grip articles. secured to a support surface such as a vehicle.

Yet other objects are to provide a clamping device that is rotated withrespect to the holding base, as desired, to insure secure holding ofobjects held by the clamping device, or a plurality of clamping devices,in a selected orientation.

Principle features of the invention include a base unit with a platformhaving holes therethrough to receive the ends of a U-bolt clamp, or toreceive screws or bolts to secure the base unit to a surface on whichthe unit is mounted. A shaft extending from the platform is exteriorlysplined and has a central hole therethrough to receive and secure anarticle to be mounted to the surface or to receive an article holder.

The article holder may include a socket with an encircling wallprojecting from a base of the socket and the wall having a splinedinterior. The top of the socket has a hole therethrough. A resilientblock fits snugly into a top of the socket and may be bolted in place. AV-notch in the top of the block receives an article to be mounted to thesurface to which the base unit is secured. A pair of oppositelyextending flexible gripper straps project from opposite sides of theblock and the V-notch to provide means for anchoring a selected articleto the resilient block. Each gripper strap has at least a pair of spacedapart projections along outer edges thereof to serve as positioners foran independent strap that is secured to the base of the socket and thatpasses around the gripper straps to secure objects held within thegripper straps to a surface. A rigid band formed around the periphery ofthe socket is connected to three corners of the base and is spaced fromthree sides. The band is fully secured to the other side of the base andhas a hook thereon to cooperate with an expandable independent strap.

Alternatively, a flexible strap having hook and loop connectors can beeasily used.

The holding base unit is quickly and easily attached to and removed froma desired surface. When attached to the surface one or more of theholding base units readily receive other articles, or other articleholders, having an interiorly splined socket that will fit onto thesocket. Because of the cooperating splined post and socket, secureholding is achieved even though the article or article holder beingattached to the holding base unit may be rotated to a desired positionbefore the matching splined components are telescoped and boltedtogether. The block of the article holder may be oriented with respectto the socket, as desired, to permit use of a selected independentstrap.

In another embodiment, the article holder may include a socket with aninterior wall with spines that cooperate with the exterior splines ofthe shaft projecting from the platform of the base holding unit.Bifurcated arms, with or without interiorly extending flexible vanesextend from the socket to receive an article, or articles, to be held.

A T-bar adapter provides a means for interconnecting a single baseholding unit to a plurality of article holders.

Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from thefollowing detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a holding base unit of the holder base system ofthe invention;

FIG. 2, an end elevation view of the holding base unit;

FIG. 3, a side elevation view;

FIG. 4, a top plan view of an article holder of the holder base system;

FIG. 5, a side elevation view of the article holder of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6, a vertical section, taken on the line 6—6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7, a vertical section, taken on the line 7—7 of FIG. 4, but showinganother embodiment of article holding strap:

FIG. 8, a side elevation view of a pair of holding base units withbifurcated arms and angled vanes of the holding base system of theinvention, with an article secured by the article holders and the baseunits secured to a bar of a vehicle rack, shown fragmentarily;

FIG. 9, a vertical section, taken on the line 9—9 of FIG. 8 and with thearticle holder shown exploded from the holding base unit and the articleshown in phantom, for clarity;

FIG. 10, an exploded end elevation view of a holding base systemincluding holding base unit, cross-bar adapter, and a pair of articleholders having bifurcated arms, with flexible vanes; and

FIG. 11, a top plan view of the holding base system of FIG. 10, butshowing one article holder rotated to accommodate secure, wedged holdingof an article.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings:

In the illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention, the holdingbase system is shown generally at 20 in FIGS. 8-11.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1-7 the holding basesystem 20 includes a base holding unit 22, and an article holder 24.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 8-11 a pair of spacedapart base holding units 22 each include an article holder 26.

Each base holding unit 22, which may be made of durable plasticmaterial, has a platform 30 from which a shaft 32 projects. The upperend of shaft 32 has splines 34 therearound, extending parallel to acentral hole 33 through the shaft 32 and platform 30. Additional holes36, 38, and 40 extend through opposite ends 42 and 44 of the platform30. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, U-bolts 46, inserted through the holes 36and 38 can be used to clamp the platform 30 to a bar (not shown in FIGS.2 and 3), such as forms the handlebars of a vehicle, with a V-groove 48formed in a bottom 50 of the platform straddling the bar. Alternatively,screws or bolts (not shown) inserted through all or selected ones of theholes 36, 38 and 40 may be used to secure the platform to a selectedsurface to which the base holding system is attached.

Article holder 24 includes a socket 52, FIG. 4,which may be of squareconfiguration, having side walls 54, 56, 58 and 60, surrounding acircular recess with a splined inner wall 64. A hole 66 passes throughthe socket at each side wall intersection and between the side walls andthe splined inner wall 64. Another hole 68 is passed centrally throughthe socket 52.

A resilient block 70 fits snugly into the top 72 of socket 52. The block70 has corner holes 74 therethrough to align with the holes 66 in thesocket 52 and a central hole 76 therethrough to align with the centralhole 68 through the socket 52. Each of the holes 74 and hole 76 arecounterbored to receive a nut, not shown, into which bolts insertedthrough the aligned holes in the socket 52 are turned to secure thesocket to the block 70. A V-notch 80 is formed in the bottom of block 70such that the bottom of the block will straddle a portion of a curved orother appropriately shaped surface to which the holding base system 20is attached.

A rigid band 84 extends around the side walls 54, 56, 58, and 60, withthe band being connected to the walls at corners 86, 88, and 90 andspaced from the walls 54, 56, and 58 and with the band fixed to andextending across the wall 60. A hook 92 is formed with and projects fromthe band 84, centrally of wall 60.

Flexible gripper straps 96 and 98 are formed integral with the block 70,with the straps each extending from an opposite edge of the block 70 andparallel to V-notch 80. Each gripper strap is formed to curve away fromthe block 70 and each has raised parallel ribs 100 on one face to engagean article to be secured by the holding base system. A pair of spacedapart projections 102 and 104 are formed at opposite sides 106 and 108of the other faces of each of the gripper straps 96 and 98 to assist inalignment of an article securement strap, such as strap 110, used tosecure an article to the holding base system.

Article securement strap 110, is made of rubber, or the like, is capableof being stretched and upon being released will return to its originalshape and length. Strap 110 has a head 112 formed on one end, is taperedat the opposite end 114 and has a series of holes 116 spaced along thelength thereof

The end 114 of strap 110 is inserted through the opening formed betweenband 84 and wall 56 and the strap is pulled through the opening untilhead 112 of the strap engages band 84 to prevent the strap from beingpulled fully through the space. Strap 110 will then pass around gripperstrap 96, between the projections 102 and 104 and around gripper strap98 and between the projections 102 and 104 thereon, so that the strap110 can be pulled to position the gripper straps around an article to besecured to the holding base system and until the stretched strap 110 ispositioned such that a hole 116 fits over the hook 92 of band 84.

Alternatively, an article securement strap 120 (FIG. 7) can be used inplace of the strap 110, merely by rotating the block 70 a quarter turninside the rigid band 84 so that the strap 120 will be properly alignedwith the gripper straps 96 and 98. Strap 120 is a strong, flexiblefabric material 122, with a loop material 124 on one face and with anend 126 turned back and the end sewn such that the end 126 has loopedmaterial on both faces of the strap. A flap 128 of strap material,having hook material 130 on one face thereof, is fixed to the strap 120at a portion adjacent to the turned back end 126 and has a locking end132 extending away from the strap 120. When used with the socket 52 andresilient block 70 the end 126 of strap 120 is inserted through thespace between a side wall 54 or 58 and rigid band 84 and away from theflexible gripper strap 96 or 98 adjacent to such side wall and then isfolded back to engage the inserted loop portion with the hook portion130 of the flap 128. The hooks on the locking portion are then engagedwith the loops on the turned back end 126 of the strap. The free end ofthe strap 120 is passed around the gripper straps 96 and 98, between theprojections 102 and 104 on the gripper straps and around an article tobe secured. The free end of strap 120 passes through the space betweenthe other side wall 54 or 58 and rigid band 84 and is snugged tightaround the surface before being turned back to engage the loopedmaterial on the free end with hook material 94 sewn to and overlyinglooped material adjacent to the flap 128.

Use of strap 110 or of strap 120 is determined by the nature of thearticle to be secured and is a matter of choice by the user. With eitherindependent strap the flexible gripper straps are held tightly againstthe article to be secured.

As best seen in FIGS. 8 and 9 a plurality of spaced apart base holdingunits 22 (shown as two units) are mounted to a bar 134 forming part of avehicle support rack and receive a shovel 136 (shown fragmentarily).Each base holding unit has an article holder 26 fixed thereto, withbifurcated arms 138 and 140 of the article holders aligned to receivethe handle 142 of the shovel and with the downwardly inclined flexiblevanes 144 of the article holders securing the handle in place.

Individual base holding units 22 of the holding base system can easilyreceive and hold articles having cooperating socket members, articleholders 26 and articles secured to the article holders. Alternatively, aspaced apart pair of article holders 26 can be mounted on a cross bar146 with spaced apart splined shafts 32, FIGS. 10 and 11. Thecooperating splines on the shafts 32 and in the sockets 52 allow thearticle holders 26 to be rotated, as desired, relative to the splinedshafts of the base holding units. Consequently, the bifurcated arms 138and 140 of the spaced apart article holders can be set to provide forwedging of an article (fishing pole 150) held by the bifurcated arms.The spaced apart article holders 26 insure secure, wedged holding,whether or not the bifurcated arms include downwardly extending flexiblevanes. Bolts 152, inserted through central holes 154 through the splinedshafts 32 and central holes 68 through the splined sockets 52 aretightened into nuts 156 in the counterbores 158 of base holding units 20to secure the article holders to the base holding units.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been hereindisclosed, it is to be understood that such disclosure is by way ofexample and that other variations are possible without departing fromthe subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims,which claims define my invention.

I claim:
 1. A holding base system for attachment of articles to surfacesfound on vehicles comprising a base holding unit including a platformand an exteriorly splined shaft projecting from said platform, saidplatform and said splined shaft having a hole formed therethrough; anarticle holder including a socket with an interiorly splined wallfitting over and cooperating with said exteriorly splined shaft andarticle securement means projecting from said socket, said articleholder having a hole therethrough and said hole being centered withinsaid wall; means including interlocking of said exteriorly splined shaftand said interiorly splined wall to secure said article holder to saidbase holding unit in a rotational orientation determined by the alignedrelationship of said interiorly splined wall with the exteriorly splinedshaft and with said hole through said platform and said splined shaftaligned with the hole through said socket means to secure said articleholder to said base holding unit irrespective of the rotationalrelationship of the exteriorly splined shaft and the interiorly splinedwall, whereby said article holder and base holding unit are securedagainst separating movement with respect to one another.
 2. The holdingbase system as in claim 1, wherein said means to secure said articleholder and said base holding unit against separating movement furtherincludes a bolt inserted through the aligned hole through the baseholder unit and the hole through the article holder centrally throughsaid socket and a nut threaded onto said bolt.
 3. The holding basesystem as in claim 1 wherein the article holder securement meanscomprises strap means to extend over an article.
 4. The holding basesystem as in claim 3, wherein the strap means includes a resilient strapand hook means for securing said resilient strap.
 5. The holding basesystem as in claim 3, wherein the strap means includes a flexible strapand hook and loop connector means.
 6. A holding base system forattachment of articles to bars, racks, rods and posts found on vehiclescomprising a base holding unit including a platform having an exteriorlysplined shaft projecting therefrom; an article holder including a sockethaving a splined inner wall fitted over and cooperating with saidsplined shaft; a resilient block including a top end snugly fitted intoa top of said socket flexible gripper straps projecting from oppositesides of said resilient block at opposite ends of said resilient block;and strap means fixed to one side of the socket to extend tightly aroundthe flexible gripper straps and an article positioned within saidgripper straps and to be secured to an opposite side of said socket. 7.The holding base system as in claim 6, further including a rigid bandsurrounding the wall of the socket, said rigid band being connected tosaid socket with a space between said socket and said rigid band atthree adjacent sides thereof and with said band being fixed along itsfull length to said socket at a fourth side of said socket; and whereinsaid strap means is secured to said rigid band.
 8. The holding basesystem as in claim 7, wherein the strap means includes a flexible straphaving means on one end thereof to cooperate with the rigid band at aside spaced from the socket to secure said end of said strap to saidrigid band; and means to secure an opposite end of said strap to anopposite side of said rigid band.
 9. The holding base system as in claim8 wherein the strap means includes an enlarged head on one end of theflexible strap that will engage the rigid band means when said strap ispulled through a space between the socket and said rigid band means andwherein said strap is resilient and has spaced holes therethroughadjacent the other end of said strap; and wherein the side of said rigidband affixed along its length to the socket is opposite the enlargedhead and has a hook projecting therefrom to receive a hole through saidstrap to secure the other end of said strap in place.
 10. The holdingbase system as in claim 9, wherein the strap means includes a flexiblefabric strap having loop material on one face thereof, and being turnedback at one end to have looped material on a reverse side of saidflexible strap at one end of said strap; said one end of said strapbeing inserted through a space between the rigid band and the socket andbeing turned back over the rigid band to have one face interlock with apad of hook material fixed to the strap and to be interlocked with aface of a flap fixed to said strap, said flap face having hook materialthereon; and said other end of said strap being inserted through anopposite space between said socket and said rigid band and turned backto have the loop material on said one face of said strap connected to ahook section of material attached to said strap adjacent the flap.